Photoprinting system and apparatus



Dec. 31, 1940. I STUART 2,227,110

PHOTOPRINTING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 27, 1939 Fm" my.

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INVENTOR.

T'TORN E Y.

Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rao'rornmma srs'rmuAND APPARATUS Robert stun-t, Forest mm, Long Island, N. Y.

Application January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,058

8 Claims. (Cl. 88-24) This invention relates to photoprinting systemsand the apparatus used therewith, in which by optical projectiondocuments are photographed on a band either iull size or on a.reducedscale and the operation may be reversed in which small photographs maybe enlarged. The system relates to photoprinting wheels of the typeshown in U. S.

Patent 2,081,187, May 25, 1937, in which the subjects to be photographedare continuously ted to 10 a rotating wheel and prints of these subjectsare taken oil! on a continuous band as the wheel rotates. The apparatuscomprises a rotating wheel having a plurality of radially spacedchambers,

. each one of which corresponds to a camera for producing thephotographic print. The apparatus is particularly adapted for use wherea time exposure in the printing operation is desired and which isdetermined by the speed oi operation of the printing wheel. The systemmay be applied to print on film but it is also adaptable for printing onphotostatic paper.

The objects oi the invention and the detailed construction thereof willbe more particularly understood from the following specification and theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a form 01. printing wheel forreproducing documents that may be as large as the original, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view or the printing wheel shown in Fig. 1 with part 01the cover removed and showing the paper feeding mechanism.

The photoprinting wheel shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is used for thereproduction of documents either full size or reductions of theoriginal. This comprises a wheel made in two vertical sections and uponone oi the sections the documents to be photographed are applied by aconveyor belt and on the adjoining section a continuous paper band isprovided which is optically connected with the g first section to printthe document by a time exposure on the paper band.

The wheel is mounted on the stem 1 I, supported by the base 12 and isprovided with a ball bearing at H. The wheel is rotated about the stemll by the belt wheel" and belt 16 connected to motor II. A cover 8| issupported by the disc 82, fixed on the end of the stem ll. This coverencloses the light tube 83 which is provided with a reflector 88 andthrough the windows 85 in the cover, light lo from tube 83 is projectedthrough the aperture 86 of the. top wheel upon the document 81 which iscarried around the wheel by the conveyor belt 88. Through theopticalcoupling 89 and the image of the document 81 is projected through theaperss ture 8| oi the lower wheel upon the sensitized paper band 91 andthe exposure is continued during the portion of the revolution of thewheel that is represented by the light tube 88. A second light tube maybe provided as indicated at 83a for illuminating the document 81. Theprinting wheel 5 is divided into radial compartments as indicated by thedivisions 85a and the top compartment 18 is connected with the lowercompartment I! by the light beam through the aperture 52 in the wallsseparating these two compartments. 10

Documents may be automatically ted to the top wheel from the tray 83 bythe feeding mechanism delivering one of the sheets 94 to the conveyorbelt 88, properly spaced to register with the printing apertures 86 inthe top wheel. The document 15 is held in place against the conveyorbelt 88 by the rollers 98.

This arrangement may be constructed to reproduce photographscorresponding in size with the original or the prints may be made largeror small- 20 er than the original by varying the diameter of the lowerwheel and adjusting'the optical system accordingly. The paper band 92;after printing, is developed in the usual way. 1

Having thus described my inventiomI claim: 2

1. A system ior photoprinting comprising a rotating drum, a printingdrum associated with said rotating drum each, or said drums dividedradially into' sections, an aperture in the periphery oi each section ofboth drums, means for exposing a document at each aperture of saidrotating drum,

a fixed annular light associated with each section of, the rotating drumior illuminating the exposed documents, a photo-sensitized printingmember in the apertures oi the printing drum and means 35 .opticallyconnecting said drums to project the image of said documents on thesensitized member of the printing drum.

2. A system for photoprinting comprising s. rotating drum, a printingdrum associated with said 40 rotating drum, each of said drums dividedinto corresponding radial sections, an aperture in the periphery of thedrums for each section, means for exposing a document at each apertureof said rotating drum, a photo-sensitized member ex- 45 posed in eachaperture of the printing drum,'an annular light associated with saidrotating drum for illuminating the exposed documents and means opticallyconnecting said drums to proiectthe image of said documents on thephoto-sensitized 50 member.

3. A system for photoprinting, comprising a pair-"oi drums in axialalignment, one above the other, said drums divided into radialcompartments with an aperture in the periphery for each 55 compartment,a window in the wall of each compartment, means for delivery documentsto the first or said drums, one document to be exposed at each aperturein the periphery of said drum, a printing sheet exposed at each window0! the other drum, a fixed source of light outside said drum arranged toilluminate the document at each aperture as the drum rotates, an opticalsystem transferring the image oi! the document to the second drum andmeans ior projecting the image from the inside of the drum by reflectionthrough an aperture in the periphery of the drum upon a printing sheetat the corresponding aperture.

4. A system for photoprinting, comprising a revolving drum with aprinting drum attached thereto, said drums divided radially intosections, an aperture in the periphery 01' each drum, a window in thewall of each compartment 0! one of said drums, an annular light tubearranged to illuminate the apertures in the periphery through saidwindows as said drums revolve, means for supplying documents to saiddrum located one in each aperture, a sensitized band applied to theprinting drum and an optical system for printing the picture of thedocument in each compartment on said band.

5. A system for photoprinting comprising a pair of drums in axialalignment, said drums being divided radially into compartments and saidcompartments in one drum being located in register with the compartmentsin the other drum, an aperture in the periphery of each compartment, awindow in the side wall of each compartment of one drum, a fixed annularlight tube in register with said windows, the documents to bephotoprinted being placed in the apertures of the compartmentsilluminated by said tube, semitized paper being placed in the aperturesoi the other 'drum, and optical means for transferring, by redrumdivided radially into compartments with an aperture in the periphery 01'each compartment, windows in the side of each compartment, a fixedannular light tube in register with said windows for illuminating theapertures, documents to be photographed placed in said apertures,sensitized paper for each aperture mounted to rotate with said drum andoptical means for transferring, by reflection, the image of the documentin each compartment and printing same on said sensitized paper as thedrum rotates.

7. A system for photoprinting, comprising a fixed stem, 8. pair 0! drumsrotatably mounted on said stem, means for rotating said drums, saiddrums being divided radially into compartments, one above the other,means for mounting documents on the periphery of one drum with the sideto be printed exposed from the inside of the drum, means for mountingsensitized paper on the periphery of the other drum with the sensitizedside exposed from the inside of the drum, windows in the side 0! thedrum having the documents, an annular light tube supported by said stemin fixed relation to said drum for illuminating said documents, andoptical means for transferring the image of the document and printingsame upon the sensitized paper as the drums rotate.

8. A system ior photoprinting, comprising a fixed stem, a pair of drumsrotatably mounted on said stem, said drums being divided radially intocompartments, one above the other, means for mounting documents on theperiphery of one drum with the side to be printed exposed from theinside or the drum, means for mounting sensitized paper on the peripheryof the other drum with.

the sensitized side exposed from the inside of the ROBERT STUART.

